Wildlife Wednesday — Northern Saw-whet Owl

By Andy Ames

On a recent run I paused at a curve in the trail to look for a favorite Pine squirrel. Looking down, I noticed two bright yellow eyes staring back at me. Although I had never seen one in person before, I quickly recognized it as a Saw-whet owl. I have heard their “too, too, too” calls before at night, so I knew they were Estes Valley residents. In facts, Saw-whet owls can be found in all U.S. states except Hawaii. Saw-whets are small owls, about the size of a robin, nocturnal, and hide in dense vegetation during the day so are rarely seen. Talk about serendipity!

The bright yellow eyes and white “V” pattern between the eyes of a Saw-whet owl.

Saw-whet owls feed mostly on small mammals such as mice and voles. They may also consume insects, small birds, as well as juveniles of small mammals pocket gophers, chipmunks, and squirrels. If you look closely near this owl’s left foot you can see that it caught a mouse

While the owl with the mouse soon flew off, another was perched close by. The chest of juvenile Saw-whets is pale, like this one’s, while an adult’s is streaked. Saw-whet owls nest in tree cavities excavated by flickers and woodpeckers, so are dependent on standing dead trees

And that squirrel I was looking for? As soon as the first owl flew off, the squirrel scampered up a tree as if to let me know it was alright